Trouser belt



Sept. 5, 1939.

D. J. SCHAFFNER TROUSER BELT Filed Ost. 21, 1936 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to belts as employed for trousers and other garments, and my main ob ject is to provide a relatively short belt which extends only partially around the trousers, yet fulfills the necessary function of supporting them in the proper place.

A further object cf the invention is to procure comfort for the wearer by the use of the short belt With means to secure the necessary tension without applying pressure to the entire waist line.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a belt of the above description which engages the trouser top without requiring the Same to carry fasteners, buttons, loops r other attaching means.

Another object of the invention is to provide the ends of the novel halt with a neat and sturdy clamping device for the trouser top, such clamping device causing no injury t0 0r wrinkling of the same.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the clamping elements of the novel belt With means for easily straddling the top portion of the trousers, whereby to facilitate the application or removal of the belt.

A significant object of the invention is to form the terminal clamps for the novel be1t with frontal. shields or plates which fully conceal the working parts of the clamps and are capable of ornamentation like conventional belt buckles or ornaments.

An important object of the invention is to construct the clamps carried by the belt of few and simple parts, whereby to enable them to be produced at 10W cost.

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the novel belt to a trouser top;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of a clamp carried by the left-hand end of the belt and in the disengaged position;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the clamp in Fig. 2 in the engaged position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 2, showing the clamp applied; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, partly in section, showing the c1amp in the engaged position.

Referring specifically to the drawing, II) denotes the novel belt which is 0f a gauge or design in keeping With conventional styles, but is only about 8 0r inches lang. It is my intention to equip this belt with clamps at the ends u for application to the trouser top, so that the latter will be drawn into engagement with the body of the wearer quite as eiiectively as by a. full-length belt.

In accordance With the foregoing, I provide a pair of clamps for the belt which are the same in general construction and function, but are symmetrically reversed when positioned at the ends of the belt. Thus, the left band clamp is clearly shown in Fig. 3, and it is seen that it is fundamentally in the form of a yoke composed of a. frontal plate II, a top band I2 and a rear plate I3. The yoke is pressed or stamped from sheet meta1 of sufiicient thickness to make it strong and rigid, additional stiffness being imparted to the frontal plate II by forming the same transversely arcuate and With side and bottom bends I4 and I5, respectively. Also, the top bend I2 may be dorned somewhat, as shown, to render it rigid. With the bends I2, I4 and I5 joined in continuous formation when the plate H is pressed, it becomes proof to bending, separating or distorting infiuences.

The top and bottom bends I2 and I5 are perforated at the rear as indicated at I2a and I5a to form hinge ears for the terminal studs I6a 0f a clinch plate I6, which tapers in one direction from the pivots, as indicated at I6b, to form a curved hook I6c, and terminates shortly in the other direction from the pivots with a series of hinge ears I6d. One side edge of an operative platze I'l is perforated at I'Ia for pivotal engagement by the hinge ears I6d, such plate occurring immediately behind the frontal platze II. The other side portion of the plate I'I has a long vertical slot I'Ib for the passage of the looped corresponding end lila 0f the belt I 0 120 secure the same to the plate I'I. The bar I'Ic adjoining the outer side of the slot I! is 01' doubled construction for strength, and is formed With rounded edges in order not to cut the be1t When the latter is under tension.

When the parts of the clamp are positioned as in Figs. 2 and 4, the plate I'I is nestled in the hollow of the frontal plate II with the clinch plate I6 close to it on the other side. The clinch plate it now amply spaced from the rear plate I3 to permit the clamp to straddle and fully receive the top I8 of the trouser as shown, the hook I6c of the clinch plate clearing the same.

On the other band, When the operative plate I'I is drawn outwardly, as by the pull 01 tension of the belt, the clinch plate I6 is caused to swing inwardly on the pivots I6a and advance the hook ordinarily invisible.

16a into engagement with the cloth of the trouser top. Wh1'le the rear plate 13 generally forms a backing for the said. cloth, the plate is formed with a triangular opening 13a as a clearance for the advance of the hook 16a in a manner to cleform and. confine the clinchecl material in the opening causing the cloth to assume an S-oourse through the clamp. The inner side of the plate opening I3a.is formed. With rounded. lugs 130 immediately alongside the course cf the hook I 6a these confining the olinched cloth for a tighter grip by the hook. These formations not only firmly secure the cloth in the c'lamm but take up a portion of the cloth in a lateral direction by virtue of the S-course takten Joy the cloth through the clamp. Thus, With two of-the clamps terminally of the belt and engaged by the inwarcl pull of the halt as destzribed, the eflect is to draw the trouser top close about the Waist.

The belt is preferably mounted With one clamp at a time. Thus, With one clamp mounted and held by one hand, the other draws on the belt 130 caus'e the clamp to grip, and slides along the belt to take hold of and mount the other clamp, while the first band pulls the trouser top adjacent such other clamp toward the center to permit that clamp to take hold as far out as possible. Now the tension of the belt, plus the wearers abdominal pressure, maintains the belt suffioiently tense to keep the clamps engaged.

T0 supplement the clinch of the hook 16a on the trouser cloth against the bar I3b, the inner side thereof is extend'ed with ridge-lilte lugs I3d Which serve during the clamping operation to anchor the cloth passing along the olinch plate. Thus, the cloth is not only clinched in the S4ormation, laut positively anchored. by the hook 16a and the lugs I3c and I3d, although these parts are not sharp or angular and cannot therefore'out or tear the cloth. The plate I3 is slightly spread toward the bottom from the frontal plate II 1:0 facilltate mounting the clamp over the trouser top; and such plate I3 is also tapered downwardly at 130 and. formed. w1'th T;rearwa'rdly flared points 13 and 13g at the side and bottom for the same purpbse.

It is thus Seen that a belt 0f the short type is had Whose clamps can be readily inounted to stradclle the trouser top because of their yokelike form. No ptrticular attention is required in the mounting of the belt, except that the end portions of the belt must each be held to its clamp in order to keep the operative plate I'I in and the clinch plate hook out of the way of the (ildth. The application of the belt b.ecomes familiaraft'er a fewtriztls, and the hands of the vvearer becoine accustomed to i ts manipulation Without any attention or concern.

It ls s ignlficant that the only part visible in either belt clamp' is the frontal plate II. The rear plate 13 is' of o01'1rsebehind the trouser cloth; and'the 'slotted portion of the operative plate I'I, while extencl'ed from the sicle of the frontal plate, is almost entirely covered by the belt loop, and is Thus, only the belt is seen when a jacket i s worn in partly open position; and, when the jack et is openvride or not worn, the terminal plates are also seen, suggesting buckles or ornaments. VJl'1ile the trouser top is deformed or gath'ered where engaged by the clampis, the deformations clo not extncl below or aside from the same, so thatthe material is not 'visibly gathered. or wrinklecl. The plates may be made with initials, scrolls or oth er dlecorative effects to form an attractive trim for the belt.

The latter thus constitutes an article of economy, by employing only a fraction of the customary belt material; an article of comfort by relieving the greater portion of the wearers waist from undue and constricting pressure; an article of efficiency by being simply made, easily applied and firmly efiective; and an article of good appearanoe by being neat, ornamentally versatile and devoid of mechanical or unsightly effects. v

While I have illustrated and described. the invention along specific lines, the same is clearly -susceptible of minor changes and refinements,

and I consioler all such changes and refinements as 'Cming w1'thin the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I'claim:

1. A clamp for a garment top comprising, a

- yoke adaptecl to surmount the latter and comprising front and rear yoke arms connected by a 1 top benol, a rearward bottom bend of the frontal yoke arm opposite the top behd thereof, and means pivoted in said bends to swing relative the rear yoke arm and clasp the garment top thereto, an extension of said means beyond. the pivot, and a member linkecl the extension and operable to swing said means.

2. A clamp for a garment top comprising, a yoke adapted to surmo-unt the latter and. comprising front and rear yoke arms connected by a top 1 bend, arearward bottom band of the frontal yoke arm opposite the top bend thereof, and means pivote;d in said benrls to swing relative to the rear yoke arm and. clasp the garm'ent top thereto, said frontal arm being broad to serve as a frontal plate said means comprising a 'securing plate substantially parallel to the frontal plate when in the normal position, an extension of the securing plate beyond the pivot, and an operative plate linked to the extension and extending in return direction from the point oflinkage between the securing plate and the frontal plate, the movement of the operative plate in saiol direction procuring the swing of the securing plate.

3. A clamp for a garment top comprising, a yoke formed from frontal and real plates joined by a top bend Which surmounts the garment top, a rearward bottom bend of the frontal plate opposite the top bend thereof, and a plate pivoted b(etween said bends and extended with a hook, the plate being adapted. to be positioned on the frontal side of the garment top and swingable towards and awayfrom said real. plate, and means operative to swing said. hook toward said rear plate and clinch said garment top therebetween.

4. The structure of claim 3, the real plate hav- 1'ng an opening defining a bar, and the hook closing about the latter during the clinching action to impart an S-formation to the garment top material and lock the latter in the claimp.

5. The structure of claim 3, the rear plate having an opening defining a bar, and spacecl lugs extended along the latter intothe opening, and the hook being tapered to press the garment top material against the lugsduringj the clinching' action of the hook to lock the material from slip- D g 6. The structure of claim 3, the rear plate.hav- 7 ing an openlng defining a bar, and rlolges extended along the latter toward. the hollow of the hook, such ridges anchoring the garrnerlt top material aainst slippage during the olinching action of the hook.

7. In a belt adapted 110 be secured to a, garment top, a clamp carried. by one end portion 0f said. belt and adapted 130 secure saicl belt to said garment, said c1amp comprising a yoke adapted 110 straddle seid garment top, means pivotally carried by said yoke, means carried by said belt end portion and pivotally connected to said first means, said first means being movable upon the tensioning of said belt to engage said garment top and clasp the same to a portion of said yoke.

8. The structure of claim 7, said portion of said yoke and said first means being formed to interengage and. clasp said garment top into an S-formation therebetween.

DANIEL J. SCHAFFNER. 

